workshop advice?

updated wed 6 oct 10

Lee Love on wed 29 sep 10

Ask if you can bring some small pots for sale. Participants want to
see your work and maybe buy some. I brought ricebowls to Little
Rock to show folks you didn't need expensive tea bowls to make matcha
in. I also brought yunomi, and two boxed teabowls I wasn't intending
to sell but just as examples, but I sold everything. Folks drew
lots for picks and it went around for 3 rounds, with some folks buying
2 or 3 pieces.
Funny thing is before the workshop, after my lecture, Donovan
Palmquist, who was building a kiln for the Arkansas Arts Center, told
me that Jack Troy does this with pots and lets people draw lots.
Jack said It supplements what you are paid for the workshop The
number drawing wasn't my idea, but the clay director Angela's idea,
and I sold more in pots than I got as payment for doing the workshop.

=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi

Dannon Rhudy on wed 29 sep 10

James said:

In terms of the actual demo, is it OK to leave a few quiet moments
......is it best to bring pre-made forms completed to that
particular stage so that one may simply switch to the pre-made piece
rather than waiting for the actual piece to firm up (I am bringing my
torch in order to compress such times as much as possible)?......

I generally like to have some things done ahead, so that when I
reach a place where the clay is too soft to continue, I can
switch to the "already ready" one - sorta like the tv cooking
shows. Not always possible to take everything, but sometimes
possible to prepare some things the night before, if you have
access to the workshop space. Since it is a university, that
should not be a problem. You do not have to chatter every
instant. But really long silences are boring for the audience.
Get 'em to ask you questions - two birds with one stone, eh?

And I repeat - if you have a good time, chances are your
audience will too.

regards

Dannon Rhudy

.....And yes, I fully understand that I am probably giving this way too
much thought!......

You are, indeed. But - never hurts to be prepared.
Ask them to define "art" and "artist. That might
keep them going. Ahem.............

Marcia Selsor on wed 29 sep 10

Congratulations James,
I find for handbuilding demos, it is best to get there a day early to =3D
prepare the=3D20
slabs or request they prepare them for you. Check on them the night =3D
before.
Handbuilding needs timing...have several things going so one is ready =3D
while one is setting up.

As for slide shows, I cringe when I see a mid-life professional begin =3D
with their college pieces.
I think it is more interesting to present what makes you inspired...how =3D
you design pieces..
how your mind works. People enjoy that.=3D20
Also show some technical work that demonstrates what is unique about =3D
your pieces. I know=3D20
your work, and your should have lots to present there.
Enjoy..they are there to learn as much as they can from you!

> Hi, all...
>=3D20
> I have been invited to present my first workshop. It will be a two
> day affair, plus a slide presentation, for the graduate and undergrad
> ceramics students at a university in another state. I am at something
> of a loss going into this, as I have attended only a half dozen or so
> workshops and slide talks, and never one of this duration. The slide
> talks I have attended have pretty much been universally boring and/or
> uninformative, and the demos have for the most part all been only a
> couple of hours in length. These demos have all pretty much been
> "This is how I make this pot, this is how I make that pot" sorts of
> affairs, which I personally found a bit jejune, and the awkward
> expanses of silence were quite uncomfortable.
>=3D20
> Dannon has generously provided me with a lot of good information (most
> importantly to "relax, and have fun with it"), for which I am
> eternally grateful. I thought, however, that it might be a good idea
> to solicit ideas and advice from others, especially those of you on
> the receiving end who have attended good (or bad) demos and slide
> talks.
>=3D20
> In regard to the slide talk, What types of things do you find boring,
> and what interesting? What do you like to see a lot of, and what
> should remain only cursory? My thought was to spend a very few
> minutes talking about my background and how I have come to this point
> (including some slides of old pre-clay work), a greater amount of time
> talking about and showing slides of some of my influences, then some
> time talking about and showing slides of my current work, perhaps
> along with some interspersed slides connecting this work back to
> influences or earlier pieces. When I hear the words "slide
> presentation" I get frightening flashbacks to interminable lost hours
> spent looking at reel after reel of somebody's boring vacation slides
> or wedding pictures, and I desperately do NOT want to be that guy!
>=3D20
> In terms of the actual demo, is it OK to leave a few quiet moments
> when work is flowing but words are not, or is it best to keep up a
> constant line of patter (I don't like to hear the crickets chirping!)?
> When something needs a bit of time between steps, is it usual to fill
> that time with chatter, or the demonstration of part of another
> project, or is it best to bring pre-made forms completed to that
> particular stage so that one may simply switch to the pre-made piece
> rather than waiting for the actual piece to firm up (I am bringing my
> torch in order to compress such times as much as possible)?
> Transportation of pre-made items will be a bit problematic, as the
> demo is several states away, and I have to cram everything into my
> car, as my truck will be otherwise occupied transporting a large piece
> to another venue. Lastly, is there anything you have witnessed in
> demos that you particularly like or dislike (without naming names, of
> course)?
>=3D20
> I have chosen my demonstration projects so that they maximize what I
> feel will be useful and translatable techniques (rather than focusing
> on my "best" pieces), and I do have a few handouts, as I have been
> told that such are typically appreciated.
>=3D20
> I appreciate any guidance or advice you can provide, on list or off.
> And yes, I fully understand that I am probably giving this way too
> much thought!
>=3D20
> All the best.
>=3D20
> ...James
>=3D20
> James Freeman
>=3D20
> "All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
> should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
> -Michel de Montaigne
>=3D20
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
>=3D20

Marcia Selsor
http://www.marciaselsor.com

Eva Gallagher on wed 29 sep 10

Hi James,
Regarding slide show - I would keep it under 60 minutes. I give talks on
rock gardens and I always try to keep it under just an hour with a bit of
time for questions. Remember movies at the movie theatre are usually about =
1
hour and 20 minutes or so and it often includes all kinds of special effect=
s
to titilate the audience - so expecting an audience to listen for more than
an hour no matter how exciting a speaker is, is asking for too much. It is
alway better to leave the audience wanting more!

James Freeman on wed 29 sep 10

Hi, all...

I have been invited to present my first workshop. It will be a two
day affair, plus a slide presentation, for the graduate and undergrad
ceramics students at a university in another state. I am at something
of a loss going into this, as I have attended only a half dozen or so
workshops and slide talks, and never one of this duration. The slide
talks I have attended have pretty much been universally boring and/or
uninformative, and the demos have for the most part all been only a
couple of hours in length. These demos have all pretty much been
"This is how I make this pot, this is how I make that pot" sorts of
affairs, which I personally found a bit jejune, and the awkward
expanses of silence were quite uncomfortable.

Dannon has generously provided me with a lot of good information (most
importantly to "relax, and have fun with it"), for which I am
eternally grateful. I thought, however, that it might be a good idea
to solicit ideas and advice from others, especially those of you on
the receiving end who have attended good (or bad) demos and slide
talks.

In regard to the slide talk, What types of things do you find boring,
and what interesting? What do you like to see a lot of, and what
should remain only cursory? My thought was to spend a very few
minutes talking about my background and how I have come to this point
(including some slides of old pre-clay work), a greater amount of time
talking about and showing slides of some of my influences, then some
time talking about and showing slides of my current work, perhaps
along with some interspersed slides connecting this work back to
influences or earlier pieces. When I hear the words "slide
presentation" I get frightening flashbacks to interminable lost hours
spent looking at reel after reel of somebody's boring vacation slides
or wedding pictures, and I desperately do NOT want to be that guy!

In terms of the actual demo, is it OK to leave a few quiet moments
when work is flowing but words are not, or is it best to keep up a
constant line of patter (I don't like to hear the crickets chirping!)?
When something needs a bit of time between steps, is it usual to fill
that time with chatter, or the demonstration of part of another
project, or is it best to bring pre-made forms completed to that
particular stage so that one may simply switch to the pre-made piece
rather than waiting for the actual piece to firm up (I am bringing my
torch in order to compress such times as much as possible)?
Transportation of pre-made items will be a bit problematic, as the
demo is several states away, and I have to cram everything into my
car, as my truck will be otherwise occupied transporting a large piece
to another venue. Lastly, is there anything you have witnessed in
demos that you particularly like or dislike (without naming names, of
course)?

I have chosen my demonstration projects so that they maximize what I
feel will be useful and translatable techniques (rather than focusing
on my "best" pieces), and I do have a few handouts, as I have been
told that such are typically appreciated.

I appreciate any guidance or advice you can provide, on list or off.
And yes, I fully understand that I am probably giving this way too
much thought!

All the best.

...James

James Freeman

"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne

William & Susan Schran User on wed 29 sep 10

On 9/29/10 4:41 PM, "James Freeman" wrote:

> Dannon has generously provided me with a lot of good information (most
> importantly to "relax, and have fun with it"), for which I am
> eternally grateful.
I've been teaching and doing workshop presentations for 33+ years, and I
still get nervous the first time I open my mouth. Then once I start flappin=
g
my gums, it's hard to get me to stop.

> In regard to the slide talk, What types of things do you find boring,
> and what interesting? What do you like to see a lot of, and what
> should remain only cursory? My thought was to spend a very few
> minutes talking about my background and how I have come to this point
> (including some slides of old pre-clay work), a greater amount of time
> talking about and showing slides of some of my influences, then some
> time talking about and showing slides of my current work, perhaps
> along with some interspersed slides connecting this work back to
> influences or earlier pieces. When I hear the words "slide
> presentation" I get frightening flashbacks to interminable lost hours
> spent looking at reel after reel of somebody's boring vacation slides
> or wedding pictures, and I desperately do NOT want to be that guy!
Can I assume the "slide show" might be a Powerpoint presentation - or real
slides? If Powerpoint, please don't put up slides of words then read the
words! Images of ceramics that influenced you, other media that influences
you, earlier work that led to current work and finished current work that
you don't bring to the workshop are all good things to show. Showing
failures is actually also a good idea sometimes.
> In terms of the actual demo, is it OK to leave a few quiet moments
> when work is flowing but words are not, or is it best to keep up a
> constant line of patter (I don't like to hear the crickets chirping!)?
> When something needs a bit of time between steps, is it usual to fill
> that time with chatter, or the demonstration of part of another
> project, or is it best to bring pre-made forms completed to that
> particular stage so that one may simply switch to the pre-made piece
> rather than waiting for the actual piece to firm up (I am bringing my
> torch in order to compress such times as much as possible)?
> Transportation of pre-made items will be a bit problematic, as the
> demo is several states away, and I have to cram everything into my
> car, as my truck will be otherwise occupied transporting a large piece
> to another venue. Lastly, is there anything you have witnessed in
> demos that you particularly like or dislike (without naming names, of
> course)?
If you are doing handbuilding, perhaps the venue can have slabs prepared
that have stiffened a bit. If your process does involve stages that require
time for drying, perhaps prepared forms that you bring or if you can come
earlier to prebuild some work.
> I have chosen my demonstration projects so that they maximize what I
> feel will be useful and translatable techniques (rather than focusing
> on my "best" pieces), and I do have a few handouts, as I have been
> told that such are typically appreciated.
Handouts are always good. Drawings/schematics are useful when forms are
complex.

Several years ago I was doing a extruder workshop at a regional conference.
They had built this frame to hold the extruder, but each time I began
extruding, the whole thing began to fall forward. Had to go next door and
grab Bill VanGilder to come over and hang on to the back of the contraption=
.

Paul Lewing on wed 29 sep 10

On Sep 29, 2010, at 1:41 PM, James Freeman wrote:

I have been invited to present my first workshop.
Congratulations, James.

Dannon has generously provided me with a lot of good information (most
importantly to "relax, and have fun with it"), for which I am
eternally grateful.
That's probably the best advice you're going to get. Remember this is
performance art, and what you're going to perform best is that which
you are most passionate about. That's what they've paid to see.

In regard to the slide talk, What types of things do you find boring,
and what interesting? What do you like to see a lot of, and what
should remain only cursory?
I hate it when someone shows me every piece they've ever made all the
way back to undergraduate school. People do want to see how you got
where you are now, but what you are making now is what they want to
see. Especially if it's stuff that you are demonstrating the
preliminary steps for- they wan to see how that's going to turn out.
Back when we really did actual slides, I used to limit my slide shows
to one tray of slides- 80 images. This gets hard when you've been
doing the work and the shows for a long time because you have to take
out stuff you've enjoyed showing for years. Now that it's digital,
you can show more than one image on the screen at once, but I still
try to keep it to 80 screens. And no one wants to sit for more than
90 minutes.

In terms of the actual demo, is it OK to leave a few quiet moments
when work is flowing but words are not, or is it best to keep up a
constant line of patter
There are going to be times when you need to concentrate so much that
you can't talk- or maybe you can, but I can't anyway. Or times when
what you're doing is repetitive and self-explanatory. "Dead air" as
they call it on TV is not as bad as on TV, and it's fine to have some
quiet time. That doesn't usually happen that much in a two day
workshop, but in longer ones it happens a lot. I usually try to get
the attendees to talk. I'll ask about local sights, local food,
galleries, fairs, anything. I try to keep the topics to something
everybody can join in on, but if someone there has something I'm
interested in, I encourage them to talk. One of the best things about
doing workshops is that I learn so much. Of course this can
backfire. I once had a guy in a large crowd at a two day workshop who
sat right up front and made many really good suggestions and
observations. But he did it really softly and it became obvious that
rather than being interested in informing his fellow classmates, he
was more interested in impressing me. So every time he did that, I'd
say, "Did you all hear what he just said?" real loud so everybody got
it. He eventually spoke up and let everybody in on stuff.
Occasionally you also get someone who really wants to show off how
much they know and almost take over the class. My favorite line for
those folks is "You have learned well, Grasshopper!" It's humorous
enough that it doesn't offend them but it lets them know that people
paid to see me, not them.

I have chosen my demonstration projects so that they maximize what I
feel will be useful and translatable techniques (rather than focusing
on my "best" pieces), and I do have a few handouts, as I have been
told that such are typically appreciated.
Both very good ideas. Don't do the same thing over and over, and
people do love handouts.

I appreciate any guidance or advice you can provide, on list or off.
And yes, I fully understand that I am probably giving this way too
much thought!
You can't give it too much thought. Other things I would advise you
to do: Make a list of everything you'll need, and I mean EVERYTHING.
There's no need for you to take stuff from your studio, such as bats
or ware boards, that they will undoubtedly have there. But send them
a list. If you need masking tape or paper cups or something that you
assume they'll have, tell them so it can all be there for you.
Give yourself lots of time to set up. I like to see the space the
night before if I can, so I can anticipate needs and problems and
envision what I'm going to do where and how. You want to be ready to
talk to the first student who walks through the door in the morning,
not frantically trying to get things in place.
And have fun. I find teaching workshops to be one of the most
enjoyable things I've ever done, and I'm sure you will too.
Good luck.

Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
www.paullewingart.com

Lee Love on wed 29 sep 10

If you can use Powerpoint for your slide presentation, I'd highly
recommend it. It makes it easy to show more than one image at a time
and with historic lectures (like my recent one in Little Rock), you
can easily put the titles and dates with each image. I printed out
the lecture, two slides to a page in B&W and made my notes on that
sheet. I only actually used the notes for the intro and the end,
where I talked about the Shigemasa Higashida Oribe piece aquired by
the Museum that the lecture was in honor of. But the notes gave me
confidence in case I ran into a "brain freeze."

=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi

Arnold Howard on thu 30 sep 10

Two years ago I attended a one-day seminar on internet
design. The first hour was fascinating. The instructor
shared his experiences and answered questions.

Then he turned on PowerPoint, and the seminar became
excruciating. I had to drink cold water to stay awake. The
slides were text-based, complete with bullet points, and the
instructor spent the rest of the day expounding on bullet
points. I could have stayed home and read the seminar from a
book.

Several years ago I attended a seminar on creativity. My
favorite parts were discussions and lectures. The boring
parts were watching DVDs of someone lecturing. Again, I
could have stayed home and watched the DVDs on TV.

So my advice is to interact with your audience and to be
yourself. Limit PowerPoint slides to photos. Add captions or
titles, if you want, but limit them to seven words each.
Don't rely on text slides. They are a crutch that will put
your audience to sleep.

Organize your workshop, but leave room for surprises. Try
beginning a sentence without knowing how you will finish it,
and see what happens. Learn to enjoy anything that goes
wrong. Those moments can give your audience a welcome
diversion.

Vince Pitelka on thu 30 sep 10

Arnold Howard wrote:
"So my advice is to interact with your audience and to be yourself. Limit
PowerPoint slides to photos. Add captions or titles, if you want, but limit
them to seven words each. Don't rely on text slides. They are a crutch that
will put your audience to sleep."

I absolutely agree with Arnold here. In the PowerPoint presentations in my
class lectures I include bulleted lists whenever I want to make sure my
students get things down in their notes. The problems occur when people tr=
y
to puff up a shallow presentation with PowerPoint. In the PowerPoint
presentations I do about my own work, the only time I would ever include
text would be as a title, or THE END. In a workshop slide show about a
particular technique or type of form, I often use a title panel to separate
different portions of the presentation.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka on thu 30 sep 10

Marcia Selsor wrote:
"As for slide shows, I cringe when I see a mid-life professional begin with
their college pieces. I think it is more interesting to present what makes
you inspired...how you design pieces.. how your mind works. People enjoy
that. Also show some technical work that demonstrates what is unique about
your pieces. I know your work, and you should have lots to present there."

Marcia -
I don't think it's that absolute. Some people did really amazing work in
college, and if it is that good I want to see it. If an artist is stuck in
the past and only shows old work, then there is a problem, but if they are
doing good work now, then I really enjoy seeing a survey of the work that
brought them to where they are now. I have seen a lot of artist's slide
shows that were like mini-autobiographies, and if they are well done, I
really enjoy them.

I always design my PowerPoint slide shows for the audience. In the one I d=
o
about my own work during my workshops, I include a little about what caused
me to come to clay, what major influences determined the direction I chose
in art and clay, a few images of my travels, at least one picture of my
grandkids, and definitely some images of the process. I do six or eight of
these PowerPoint shows per year, and they have always been well-received, s=
o
I must be doing something right.

The degree of formality and informality in a slide lecture is of course up
to the individual artist, and the mistake that a lot of presenters make is
to do a very informal slide show in formal circumstance, or the other way
around, in which case the audience goes to sleep. The primary purpose is o=
f
course to inform the audience about the artist's work, but I think that
artist's slide shows should always be entertaining. I want to know
something about the artist's life.
- Vince

Hank Murrow on thu 30 sep 10

Geez, Howard;

I wish I could get such insights from participants in my workshops. I =3D
ask folks to respond with critical review, sometimes weeks after the =3D
event, and they keep saying "It was wonderful" or some other flattering =3D
but uninformative assessment. I probably need to plant someone more or =3D
less ruthless in one to get a more realistic view of how I come across. =3D
Any takers?

Thanks & Cheers! Hank in Eugene
http://www.murrow.biz/hank

On Sep 30, 2010, at 5:57 AM, Arnold Howard wrote:

> Two years ago I attended a one-day seminar on internet
> design. The first hour was fascinating. The instructor
> shared his experiences and answered questions.
>=3D20
> Then he turned on PowerPoint, and the seminar became
> excruciating. I had to drink cold water to stay awake. The
> slides were text-based, complete with bullet points, and the
> instructor spent the rest of the day expounding on bullet
> points. I could have stayed home and read the seminar from a
> book.
>=3D20
> Several years ago I attended a seminar on creativity. My
> favorite parts were discussions and lectures. The boring
> parts were watching DVDs of someone lecturing. Again, I
> could have stayed home and watched the DVDs on TV.
>=3D20
> So my advice is to interact with your audience and to be
> yourself. Limit PowerPoint slides to photos. Add captions or
> titles, if you want, but limit them to seven words each.
> Don't rely on text slides. They are a crutch that will put
> your audience to sleep.
>=3D20
> Organize your workshop, but leave room for surprises. Try
> beginning a sentence without knowing how you will finish it,
> and see what happens. Learn to enjoy anything that goes
> wrong. Those moments can give your audience a welcome
> diversion.

Lee Love on thu 30 sep 10

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 7:57 AM, Arnold Howard wro=
=3D
te:
> Two years ago I attended a one-day seminar on internet
> design. The first hour was fascinating. The instructor
> shared his experiences and answered questions.
>
> Then he turned on PowerPoint,

Arnold, I am afraid you aren't seeing the full power of powerpoint.
You need not use any text whatsoever. But, you can put more than
one image on a slide, and add descriptions. A really nice thing, is
that you can spit the powerpoint out as individual jpg slides that are
numbered in your order so you don't have to manually renumber them. I
have found that different operating systems order numbers differently.

=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi

Lee Love on thu 30 sep 10

On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 10:11 PM, Dannon Rhudy wrote:
> James said:
>
> In terms of the actual demo, is it OK to leave a few quiet moments
> ......is it best to bring pre-made forms completed to that
> particular stage so that one may simply switch to the pre-made piece
> rather than waiting for the actual piece to firm up (I am bringing my
> torch in order to compress such times as much as possible)?......

Prophane isn't allowed on the plane so I just brought my torch head
and asked that a tank of prophane be ready for me at the other end.
I made parts the day before. Doing impression, inlay and scraping ads
a day to work, a 3rd step.

> instant. =3DA0But really long silences are boring for the audience.
> Get 'em to ask you questions - two birds with one stone, eh?

I have an outline on a 5X7 that helps me remember what I want to do next.

Lee Love on thu 30 sep 10

I do 50 minutes and then Q & A
--
=3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi

Elizabeth Priddy on fri 1 oct 10

People have said that my workshops are "fun". It is a
vital part for me that they leave with that feeling.

Try and allow some time for the participants to take some
ownership of the experience. If you are demo-ing and you
have an array of topics you could show and still stay on
your agenda, let them choose the subject you show.

Like if I am presenting painting, I ask them to choose the
subject they would like to see. It keeps them more interested.

Or if you are making stuff, let them have a little worry ball
of clay at some point to relieve their tension. Participants
can experience the workshop as "school" and it sometimes brings up
residual anxiety from past unfortunate learning experiences.

If you can make them laugh, do it as often as possible.

And assume that something big will go wrong, rather than worrying
if it will. So when it happens, you can laugh it off and say,
"Well now that THAT is out of the way we can begin!" Seeing you
handle failure humanizes you and makes them relax. And some snafu is
unavoidable, in any case, so make it work for you.

Congratulations and good luck!

- ePriddy

Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA

http://www.elizabethpriddy.com

--- On Thu, 9/30/10, Arnold Howard wrote:

> From: Arnold Howard > Subject: Re: Workshop advice?
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 8:57 AM
> Two years ago I attended a one-day
> seminar on internet
> design. The first hour was fascinating. The instructor
> shared his experiences and answered questions.
>
> Then he turned on PowerPoint, and the seminar became
> excruciating. I had to drink cold water to stay awake. The
> slides were text-based, complete with bullet points, and
> the
> instructor spent the rest of the day expounding on bullet
> points. I could have stayed home and read the seminar from
> a
> book.
>
> Several years ago I attended a seminar on creativity. My
> favorite parts were discussions and lectures. The boring
> parts were watching DVDs of someone lecturing. Again, I
> could have stayed home and watched the DVDs on TV.
>
> So my advice is to interact with your audience and to be
> yourself. Limit PowerPoint slides to photos. Add captions
> or
> titles, if you want, but limit them to seven words each.
> Don't rely on text slides. They are a crutch that will put
> your audience to sleep.
>
> Organize your workshop, but leave room for surprises. Try
> beginning a sentence without knowing how you will finish
> it,
> and see what happens. Learn to enjoy anything that goes
> wrong. Those moments can give your audience a welcome
> diversion.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Arnold Howard
> Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
> ahoward@paragonweb.com
> / www.paragonweb.com
>

Vince Pitelka on fri 1 oct 10

Lee Love wrote:
"Propane isn't allowed on the plane so I just brought my torch head
and asked that a tank of propane be ready for me at the other end."

I do the same thing, unless I am going to be building very large coil pots,
in which case I bring a bigger Sievert roofing torch and ask that they
provide a 20-lb. propane tank. As another option for thrown or handbuilt
pots, an extra wheel with a small electric heater works great.

On the first day of any workshop I distribute a two-page handout that
describes the content and intent of the workshop and provides a detailed
schedule of what we will cover. I keep a copy for myself so I will know
what the hell to do.
- Vince

Paul Lewing on fri 1 oct 10

You don't see this much in workshop slide shows, but there's one thing
that really drives me right up the wall when people do presentations
at places like NCECA. That's when they're talking about their own
work but they've written it out word for word and just read it off the
page. I can understand this when you're doing an introduction or a
eulogy or something like that and you want to remember everything and
get it all right, but on one should need notes to talk about their own
work! Maybe it's the difference between talking to a small group and
standing in front of a crowd at a lectern.

Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
www.paullewingart.com

Pottery by John on fri 1 oct 10

James,

Congrats on the Workshop gig.

Should you decide to go with Power Point, from somewhere I picked up these
Power Point Tips. They are general, but make good sense.

1. No more than six words on a slide.
2. No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images.

3. No dissolves, spins or other transitions.

4. Sound effects can be used a few times per presentation, but never use th=
e
sound effects that are built in to the program.

5. Don't hand out print-outs of your slides.

Venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki offers his simple "10/20/30 Rule of
PowerPoint," which can help you prepare:

"A PowerPoint presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20
minutes, and contain no font smaller than 30 points."

Good luck and response for your workshop experience. I have no doubt you
will be both informative and entertaining.

Folks need to understand that you don't have to us Powerpoint the way
business folks do. As an artist, you need to think creatively.
What Powerpoint can do for you is make everything the right resolution
and size (you resize on screen), and help you order them
automatically.
In my lecture: Found in Translation: The Development of the
Japanese Legacy In America, is used no slides with only text.

=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi

steve graber on fri 1 oct 10

i swear once i got hooked on clay=3DA0the math side of my brain started to =
ro=3D
t and =3D0Awither away.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0Anow i want images and visuals a=
nd people =3D
talking to me.=3DA0 do not make me read!=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Agiving me=3DA0somet=
hing to fi=3D
ddle with like a clay ball also keeps my hands off =3D0Aany=3DA0girls sitti=
ng n=3D
ext to me which might be considered a good thing by those =3D0Asame girls.=
=3DA0=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber, Graber's Pottery, Inc=3D0AClaremont, Cal=
ifornia US=3D
A=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesome texture on pots! =3D0Awww.graberspottery=
.com=3D
steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Laguna Clay's website=3D0Ahttp:=
//www.la=3D
gunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A______________________________=
__=3D0AFrom:=3D
Elizabeth Priddy =3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=
=3D0AS=3D
ent: Fri, October 1, 2010 7:33:05 AM=3D0ASubject: Re: Workshop advice?=3D0A=
=3D0AP=3D
eople have said that my workshops are "fun".=3DA0 It is a=3D0Avital part fo=
r me=3D
that they leave with that feeling.=3D0A=3D0A=3D0ATry and allow some time f=
or the=3D
participants to take some=3D0Aownership of the experience.=3DA0 If you are=
dem=3D
o-ing and you=3D0Ahave an array of topics you could show and still stay on=
=3D0A=3D
your agenda, let them choose the subject you show.=3D0A=3D0ALike if I am pr=
esen=3D
ting painting, I ask them to choose the=3D0Asubject they would like to see.=
=3D
=3DA0 It keeps them more interested.=3D0A=3D0AOr if you are making stuff, l=
et the=3D
m have a little worry ball=3D0Aof clay at some point to relieve their tensi=
on=3D
.=3DA0 Participants=3D0Acan experience the workshop as "school" and it some=
time=3D
s brings up=3D0Aresidual anxiety from past unfortunate learning experiences=
.=3D
=3D0A=3D0AIf you can make them laugh, do it as often as possible.=3D0A=3D0A=
And assu=3D
me that something big will go wrong, rather than worrying=3D0Aif it will.=
=3DA0 =3D
So when it happens, you can laugh it off and say,=3D0A"Well now that THAT i=
s =3D
out of the way we can begin!"=3DA0 Seeing you=3D0Ahandle failure humanizes =
you =3D
and makes them relax.=3DA0 And some snafu is=3D0Aunavoidable, in any case, =
so m=3D
ake it work for you.=3D0A=3D0ACongratulations and good luck!=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=
- ePriddy=3D
=3D0A=3D0AElizabeth Priddy=3D0ABeaufort, NC - USA=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A

Alice DeLisle on sat 2 oct 10

James,
I am mostly a lurker on Clayart and have always appreciated your posts bec=
ause
they are organized, well thought and well written - all indications that yo=
u
will be a good teacher.

I have attended several workshops. One common element that I would advise =
you
to think about is that there is almost always one attendee who threatens to=
take
control - usually a narcissist who asks questions that can lead you away fr=
om
your planned topic to bring the focus to that individual. And they keep as=
king
over and over. It is distracting to the presenter and very irritating to t=
he
other attendees. I don't know the best way to deal with these people. May=
be be
prepared to say something like "we can discuss this later during a break. =
For
now, I want to focus on this topic." I was in a workshop recently where an
attendee kept asking something like "what would happen if I did such-and-su=
ch?"
The presenter responded "don't" or "don't do it" each time, and left it at
that. Eventually, the questions stopped.

You also asked about gaps of silence while you are giving a demo. One pres=
enter
at a workshop that I attended had several questions that she asked of the
attendees about common challenges that potters face and she asked them duri=
ng
such lulls. "How do you deal with -insert a common challenge- in your
work/life?" Then as she continued to demo the piece there was a discussion=
of
common interest to all.

Good luck. I am sure the attendees will enjoy the workshop.

Alice DeLisle

wanderland@att.net
http://www.etsy.com/shop/IslandTextures

James Freeman on sat 2 oct 10

I wish to express my gratitude to all who provided me with advice,
anecdotes, tips, and other helpful tidbits, both on list and off. I
tried to write a personal thank you note to everyone who responded,
and if I missed anyone, I apologize. Lots of great information, and I
shall incorporate as much of it as I can. I hope that others found
this thread useful.

All the best.

...James

James Freeman

"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne

On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 4:41 PM, James Freeman
wrote:
> Hi, all...
>
> I have been invited to present my first workshop.

Lee Love on sat 2 oct 10

On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 7:21 PM, Vince Pitelka wrote:
d asked that a tank of propane be ready for me at the other end."
>
> I do the same thing, unless I am going to be building very large coil pot=
=3D
s,
> in which case I bring a bigger Sievert roofing torch and ask that they
> provide a 20-lb. propane tank. As another option for thrown or handbuilt
> pots, an extra wheel with a small electric heater works great.

I was offered a Raku burner, but I primarily needed to dry surfaces
before texturing and dry slip before scraping.

> On the first day of any workshop I distribute a two-page handout that
> describes the content and intent of the workshop and provides a detailed
> schedule of what we will cover. =3DA0I keep a copy for myself so I will k=
no=3D
w
> what the hell to do.

I handed out a one page handout that had two shrink rulers on it (12%
and 14%) and tracing of my tools (ones used by Hamada and Shimaoka.)
It was only a demo workshop, but I showed folks how to make measuring
gauges from shishkabob bamboo skewers and wire ties and explained my
scraping tools and how they should be sharpened for scraping inlay.
After Shimaoka's last tour of the USA, many folks started doing rope
impression, but very few are doing inlay. I am guessing because the
rope impression is easy to figure out.
We also watch an english language video of Shimaoka's workshop
and him at work at lunch. That worked really well because he demoed
his technique before I did.

=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi

May Luk on sat 2 oct 10

On Sat, Oct 2, 2010 at 7:21 AM, Alice DeLisle wrote:
[...] One common element that I would advise you
> to think about is that there is almost always one attendee who threatens =
to take
> control - usually a narcissist who asks questions that can lead you away =
from
> your planned topic to bring the focus to that individual. [...]

___________________________________________

Alice;

We call them askholes.

May
Brooklyn

--
http://twitter.com/MayLuk
http://www.ceramicsbrooklyn.com/

Vince Pitelka on sat 2 oct 10

John Lowes wrote:
"1. No more than six words on a slide."

Unless you need seven, or ten, or fourteen, in which case it is OK. Use
only as many words as are needed, and in an artist's presentation during a
workshop, no text-only panels at all except for titles and "THE END." John=
,
please do not take any of this as any sort of criticism of you personally,
because I know that your intentions were the best in your post. I am just
concerned about how people approach the idea of PowerPoint presentations fo=
r
workshop or gallery slide shows. The PowerPoint tips given for business
situations just do not apply.

You wrote:
"2. No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images."

What are professional stock photos? This does not really apply to artist's
slide shows. I think that this discussion thread most specifically refers t=
o
artists doing slide shows during workshops. In such cases, the artist show=
s
slides of her/his own work, and we would hope that they are
professionally-done original images.

You wrote:
"3. No dissolves, spins or other transitions."

Absolutely, John. All of the transition "special effects" available in
PowerPoint are incredibly hokey, and are the death of any presentation done
for an intelligent audience.

You wrote:
"4. Sound effects can be used a few times per presentation, but never use
the sound effects that are built in to the program."

Again, I think this is something referring to a business-world audience, an=
d
it has no relevance to artist's slide shows. If sound is an important part
of the artist's work, then it could certainly be incorporated into the slid=
e
presentation. Otherwise, it would be distracting and out-of-place.

5. Don't hand out print-outs of your slides.

Again, no relevance to an artist's slide show, unless the artist is doing
some sort of conceptual, experiential interpretation of one of those
business meetings where you know that you lost some brain cells.

Regarding Guy Kawasaki's "10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint": "A PowerPoint
presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and
contain no font smaller than 30 points."

An artist's PowerPoint presentation needs to do whatever it needs to do in
order to inform the audience about the artist's work, and business
guidelines do not apply. I apologize if this seems at all confrontational
or contradictory, because that is not my intention, but it is very importan=
t
that artists not follow the fashionable rules of the business world, becaus=
e
they have no relevance, except perhaps in marketing our wares. In that
department, we need all the help we can get.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka on sat 2 oct 10

Alice DeLisle brought up an excellent point:
"One common element that I would advise you to think about is that there is
almost always one attendee who threatens to take control - usually a
narcissist who asks questions that can lead you away from your planned topi=
c
to bring the focus to that individual. And they keep asking over and over.
It is distracting to the presenter and very irritating to the other
attendees. I don't know the best way to deal with these people."

Alice -
Sometimes such people are just very curious and perhaps a bit compulsive,
and I would not want to do anything to dampen their enthusiasm. But then
there are the trolls, who genuinely get some perverse satisfaction out of
disrupting the productive learning environment. It is up to any workshop
presenter to deal with these people quickly and efficiently, with minimum
offense or hurt feelings. If they are slightly disruptive, sometimes I jus=
t
ignore them and they quickly get the point. It is like the bully who gets
satisfaction only if his intimidations are successful. If the person is
significantly disruptive, he/she makes everyone else uncomfortable, and it
may be necessary to take more aggressive measures. In that case I usually
just shoot them. Seriously, on occasion I have had to simply stand up and
look them straight in the face and say "HEY! Who's teaching this workshop?
Are you here to learn or to disrupt?" If the presenter is confident and
unafraid of being challenged, then such people usually back down quickly."
I have never had to "expel" anyone from a class or a workshop.
- Vince

Maggie Furtak on sun 3 oct 10

Watch some "TED Talks" (available by podcast, just google them). Excellent
international lecture series on technology, the arts, science, combating
international problems from hunger to child labor, etc. Most of them are v=
ery
good. When you watch enough, you start to get a feel for what makes a good
presentation on ANY topic.

Some general things I've noticed:

Have an appropriate amount of information for the time allotted.

PowerPoint slides should be used only for situations where a picture is wor=
th a
thousand words, ie graphs, photos with emotional impact, photos of things t=
hat
are under discussion and hard to describe with words, like pots. There sho=
uld
be some comparison between photos or discussion of them, not just an endles=
s
stream of them.

Have a clear thesis and make sure your talk/demo supports it, don't just ra=
mble
all over a vaguely defined subject.

Dress appropriately. Yes, we are talking a clay workshop here, but don't w=
ear
your rattiest clay shirt. Start the day clean even if you won't stay that =
way.
Ladies, don't wear something that gives me a good view of your cleavage wh=
en
you bend over the wheel. (:

Include personal stories that are appropriate to your thesis. "I learned t=
his
technique from ... , but when he did it he did it like... one day he caught=
his
pants on fire, so now I do it this way."

Dannon Rhudy on sun 3 oct 10

Sometimes such people are just very curious ....
... But then
there are the trolls, who genuinely get some perverse satisfaction out of
disrupting the productive learning environment. It is up to any workshop
presenter to deal with these people ......

In all the many workshops I have coordinated, there've
only been one or two where an audience member relentlessly
interrupted, etc. In one case - and this was really
awkward - the presenters SISTER decided to attend. She
spent almost the whole workshop interrupting the
presenter, asking questions that were not germane, and/or
making personal remarks aimed at embarrassing the presenter.
Since the presenter did not want any interventions, and
was endlessly polite, not much could be done. However,
apparently at sometime on the morning of the second
day, the students managed an intervention of their own,
because the rest of the time was pleasant, peaceful,
and devoid of sisterly comments. Things work out....

regards

Dannon Rhudy

Elizabeth Priddy on mon 4 oct 10

I would rather see slides broken into two groups, one at the beginning to i=
ntroduce the topic, but no longer than 30 minutes of sitting in the dark wa=
iting to get on with it. And one later in the workshop when the slides wil=
l have more significance after real understanding of the processes and visu=
als has started to gel.

In the first, keeping it interesting is important. The workshop attendees =
will be familiar with the work of the presenter, or they would not have sig=
ned up. So an extreme biography is not necessary. I probably do not want =
to know how many cats you have. Unless you make ceramic cats, in which cas=
e, bring it on.

And in the second, the floor should be open to lots of questions, in fact s=
hould be directed by questions instead of more lecture. This will give the=
presenter valuable information on where the participants are in their lear=
ning and what has emerged as group and individual interests. The presenter=
would ideally take notes at this point and guide the rest of the workshop =
based on the interests of the attendees.

I am a firm believer in Responsive Teaching. It is difficult and requires =
flexibility in the presenter. But the most boring thing in the world is so=
meone plowing through their agenda with no regard to the needs or emerging =
interests of the attendees.

- ePriddy

Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA

http://www.elizabethpriddy.com

Arnold Howard on tue 5 oct 10

From: "Hank Murrow" I wish I could get such insights from participants in my
workshops. I ask folks to respond with critical review,
sometimes weeks after the event, and they keep saying "It
was wonderful" or some other flattering but uninformative
assessment.
-----------
Hand out copies of a half-page questionnaire after your
presentation, and allow people to remain anonymous with
their comments. I always fill out the questionnaire, because
it helps the presenter.